Mechanism for opening and filling bags



Dec. 27, 1932. a. I. HOHL MECHANISM FOR OPENING AND FILLING BAGS Original Filed Dec. 26, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet Dec. 27, 1932. G. l. HOHL MECHANISM FOR OPENING AND FILLING BAGS Original Filed Dec. 26. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 27, 1932. G. HOHL MECHANISM FOR OPENING AND FILLING BAGS Original Filed Dec. 25. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE I. HOHL, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO CARTONING MACHINERY CORPORATION, OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY MECHANISM FOR OPENING AND FILLTNG BAGS Original application filed December 26, 1929, Serial No. 416,516. Divided and this application filed June 20, 1931.

This invention relates, generally, to automatic packaging machinery; and, more particularly, to improvements in mechanism for opening and filling bags; this invention, furthermore, relates to divisional subject matter disclosed in my copending application for United States Letters Patent Serial Number 416,516, filed December 26th, 1929, of which therein; and also to provide a novel means for delivering into the opened bag the mate- 'rial to .be enclosed therein.

' Other objects of this invention, not at this time more dparticularlyenumerated, will be clearly un rstood from the following detailed description of the same,

An illustrative embodiment of the novel bag opening and filling mechanism made according to the principles of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a machine provided with the novel bag delivering, opening and filling mechanism of this invention, with parts thereof shown in horizontal section; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section through the same, showing the bag delivery mechanism; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view, similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing additional operations of the bag delivery mechanism; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing in part the material delivery means and cooperating bag expanding or opening means.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Serial No. 545,681.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character 12 indicates a table or base plate, which may be suitably supported on standards or legs (not shown). Secured upon the base plate 12 is the supporting pedestal 13 of a bag holder or magazine 14. The bags, in fiat collapsed state, are stacked or piled within the holder or magazine 14. The bags,indicated by the reference character 15, are of a structural form having a socalled satchel bottom, that is, a folded bottom which, when the bag is collapsed to flat condition, lies in a plane parallel to the bag body with one portion thereof overlying a face of the latter, thus providing a lap 15' (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5). When the bag is expended, the bottom turns to a plane at right angles to the bag body andforms a rectangular closure at the lower end of the latter. The bag holder or magazine 14 is open at its lower end except for cross ledges 16 and 17 to support the ends of the bags, and side ledges 18, to supportthe sides of the ba 5, said latter ledges terminating shortof t e ledge 17 to provide a discharge opening 19,

and the free ends of said ledges 18 being formed by down-turned yieldable or springlike terminal portions 18' adjacent to said opening 19. The bags are so arranged that the bottom ends thereof are disposed over the discharge opening 19, so that the lap 15' of the lowermost bag will be exposed through said opening 19 (see Fig. 2).

Suitably supported on the base plate 12, by astandard 20, is an arcuate bag delivery slideway 21, the rearward end of which extends beneath the bag holder or magazine, and the forward end of which curves downward toward and terminates adjacent to a bag runend of said lever arm 22 is a bell-crank lever the bell-crank lever and its roller, with consequent upward swinging of the upper arm.

of the bell-crank lever and its extractor blade 25, to disposethe latter in initial position beneath the magazine preparatory to engaging and withdrawing 'a bag therefrom. Said cam plate 27 is also similarly cut away at its forward end portion to provide another drop-section 29 cooperative with the bellcrank lever and its roller. A track lever 30 is pivotally connected with said cam plate 27, the forward arm of which ossesses a curvilinear upper margin alignab e with the adjacent upper mar in of the cam plate 27 so as to normally bri ge the drop-section 29,

thereby to normally support the roller of the bell-crank lever 24 to maintain the extractor blade 25 in bag grippingrelation to the slideway,21, until the time arrives to release the Supported, by a suitable bracket 31, above the forward end portion of said slideway 21 is a stationary bag gripping jaw 32 having a rearwardly and upwardly chamfered gripping face; Pivotally supported by a bracket 33, which preferably extends from the standard 20, is a movable bag gripping member 34, having at its free end a yieldable jaw ortion 35 to cooperate with said stationary bag gripping jaw 32. Normally said member 34 is swung back and down .beneath the face of the slideway 21, the latter being suitably cut away to permit the movement of said member 34 therethrough. Connected with said member 34 is a crank arm 36 for impartin swinging movement thereto.

cans are provided for automatically operating the above described bag delivery and gripping mechanism in properly timed re lation to other mechanisms of the machine. To this end, a power. driven shaft 37 is journaled in bearings 38 to extend lon itudinall along the rearward side of the ta 1e or base plate 12. wheel 39, into the cam race 40 of which extends a roller stud 41 carried by a connecting rod 42, the outer end of the latter being pivotally secured to the bag extractor lever arm 22, whereby timed oscillation of the latter is produced to efiect operative reciprocation 0 the extrabtor blade 25 relative to the slideway 21. Fixed on said shaft 37 is another cam wheel 43, into the cam race 44 of givotally secured to the crank arm 36 to prouce timed operation of the movable bag grip'ing jaw member 34. The means for pro ucing timed operation of the track-lever Fixed on said shaft 37 is a cam 30 comprises a tri lever 47 pivoted on the cam-plate 27 so t at its forward arm engages a lift stud 30' carried by the tail piece Fixed on the periphery of said cam wheel 43 r is a trip cam 49 for moving said triplever and through it the track lever 30 at proper times. Said track lever 30 and trip lever 47 are biased to normal initialpositionsby a pull sprin 50 connected between the tail piece of t e former and the base plate or a table 12.

, Suitably supported on said base plate or table 12, to extend longitudinally to the right from the bag delivery end of the slideway 21, is a bag supporting runway com rising bottom track bars 51 and side guide ars 52. Said bars 51 and '52 are carried by bracket plates 53 fixed on pedestal members 54 which rise from said base or table 12.

Vertically movable adjacent to the bag delivery end of the slideway21 is a guide funnel orc ute mechanism adapted to cooperate with a delivered bag to be 'filled, so as to enter the mouth of the latter to assist in opening up the same, and thereafter to guide material discharged from a source of supply into the bag for filling the same. Said'guide funnel or chute mechanism includes a for wardly extendin lever arm 55 fixed on a pivot shaft 56, w ich is journaled in a bearlng standard 57 suitably located on and supportedby said base or table 12, and further includes a rearwardly extending lever arm 58, also fixed on said pivot shaft 56. Fixed on and rotated by said shaft 37 is a camwheel 59 having a cam race 60 in which rides a. roller stud 61 carried at the free end of said lever arm 58. Said cam-wheel 59 operates to produce timed oscillation of the lever arms 5558, whereby timed operative movements of the uide funnel or chute mechanism is eflecte Connected with the free or outer end of said lever arm 55, by means of y an off-set bracket member 62, or by any other suitable means, is a guide funnel or chute.

member 63 preferably of rectangular crosssectional s ape approximating in external. dimensions the internal dimensions of an opened bag to he filled. Said funnel or chute member 63 is provided with a suitably outwardly flared open upper end portion 63. The lower or dischar e end of said funnel or chute member 63 is ob iquely cut downwardly and inwardly toward the bag slide-way 21 to provide a tapered or wedge-like extremity which extends a roller stud 45 carried by a connecting rod 46, the outer end of which is 63". Hinged to the outer side mar in of said lower or discharge end. of said unnel or chute member 63 is a closure plate 64, the free extremity of which is chamfered as at 64' lilito provide a sharpedge. Said closure plate is counter-balanced by a projecting weightcam depression 7 7.

aseaies -15 to normally bias the same to closed posi tion relative to the lower or discharge end of said funnel or chute member 63.

Communicating with the interior of said funnel or chute member 63 is an air intake port 66. Suitably connected with the outer end of said port 66 is a flexible air conduit 67, the opposite end of which is connected with an air supply pipe 68 leading from any suitable source of air under pressure. Connected in the line-of said air supply pipe 68 is control valve 69 having a lever 70 for actuating the same. Means are provided for produc ing properly timed opening and closing movements of said control valve 69. This means is actuated from a transverse counter shaft 71 mounted in bearing members 7 2, said counter shaft 71 being driven from said shaft 37 through intermeshing bevel gears 73 and 7 4. Fixed on said counter shaft 71 is an air valve actuating cam 75, having in its periphcry a primary depression 7 6 and a secondary A bridge plate 78 is secured to and upon the bearing members 72 in a spaced relation to and above the base or table 12. Secured to said bridge plate 78 is a bracket arm 79 to which is pivoted a lever member 80, having at its free end a lateral extension 80 which projects toward said air valve actuating cam 7 Mounted on the extremity of said lever member extension 80 is an anti-friction roller 81 which rides on the periphery of said cam 7 5, Said lever member 80 is biased toward said cam by a pull spring 82. Interconnecting said lever member and the lever 70, which directly operates the air control valve ing rod or link 83.

Slidably mounted in connection with said funnel or chute member 63, for transverse disposition across the interior passage thereof at proper times is a back-pressure plate 84'. Said back-pressure plate projects laterally and exteriorly from a side. of said funnel or chute member 63, and is supported for longitudinal sliding movement in a guide-bracket 85 movable with said lever arm 55. Means are provided for producing properly timed movements of said back-pressure plate 84 relative to the interior passage of the funnel or chute member 63. This means comprises a slideway 86 supported on said bridge plate 78 in which is mounted for slidable reciprocation, a slide bar 87. Suitably secured to the free end of said slide bar is an upstanding coupling pin 88 which engages through a slot 89 in the tail of said baclepressure plate 84. whereby the latter is coupled with said slide-bar 87, but is nevertheless free for vertical movement accompanying the rise and fall of said funnel or chute member 63. The means for producing timed reciprocation of said slidebar 87, with correspondin timed movement of said back-pressure up ate 84, comprises an actuating cam 90 fixed on and 69, is a connecte rotated by said counter shaft 71. Pivoted at its lower end in a fulcrum knuckle 91, fixed on said base or table l2,.is a lever 92 having a lateral arm 93 carrying an anti-friction roller 94 which bears on the periphery of said cam 90. Said lever 92 is biased toward said cam 90 by apull-spring 93'. interconnecting the upper free end of said lever 92 with said slide-bar 87 is a connecting rod or link Said discharge end of said spout 98 is provided with a hinged closure plate or trap 99 biased to open position by a pull spring 100. Said closure plate or trap 99 is normally held in closed relation to the spout 98 by a trgack arm 101 which is carried by said slide-bar 87; said closure plate or trap 99 having an anti friction roller disposed to be engaged by said track arm 161.

The operation of the bag filling mechanism, as thus far described, is as follows When operating power is suitably transmitted to the machine, the shaft 37 is rotated, whereby the cam wheel 39 actuates the lever arm 22 which is initially positioned at the rear end of the bag delivery slideway to dispose the extractor blade 25 beneath and rearward of the discharge opening 19 of the bag supply magazine 14. l Vhen the lever arm 22 occupies such initial position, the roller 26 of the bell-crank lever 24 dro s into the drop section 28 of the cam-plate 2 the said bellcrank lever 24 being biased to such movement by a spring 24:, Said bell-crank lever 24 is thus caused to turn on its fulcrum so that the extractor blade 25 is uplifted from the surface of the bag delivery slideway 21, and projected toward the lap 15 of the lowermost collapsed bag 15 within the magazine 14 (see Figure 8). As actuated by the cam wheel 39 said lever arm 22 is swung forward, whereby the free end of the extractor blade 25 is carried over the lap 15' and beneath thebody 0f the bag 15. Continued forward movementof the lever arm carries the roller 26 of the bell-crank lever 24: out of the drop section 28 of the cam plate 27, thus turning said bell-crank lever so as to lower the extractor blade 25 upon the slideway 21, thereby pulling the engaged end of the bag 15 out of inc the magazine 14 while holding the -lap 15 thereof engaged between the extractor ade 25 and the surface of said slideway 21, whereupon continued forward movement of theextractor blade, as carried by the forwardly swinging lever arm 22, withdraws the bag 15 from the magazine through discharge opening 19, and on down slideway 21 to the forward or delivery end of the latter. When the bag 15 is positioned at the forward end of .slideway 21, it overlies the" normally back swung bag-gripping member 34, which,

through its timed actuating means, is thereupon swung upwardly and forwardly before the extractor blade 25 isreleased. Such movement of the member 34 swings the bag 15 to upright position, so as to carry'the upper end of its rear wall against the stationary bag-gripping jaw 32, said member dwelling in such position whereby its yieldable jaw portion 35 cooperates with said jaw 32 to grip and hold the bag in up-raised position. The front wall of the bag 15 is notched as at 15" to clear the jaw 32, thus leavin initially collapsed but gripped bag free fbr opening expansion. When the bag is thus gripped and suspended in vertical position, the timed 1 actuating means which operates track lever 30, functions to drop the latter from its normal bridging relation to drop section- 29 of cam plate ,27, thereby allowing bell-crank lever 24 to turn so as to lift extractor blade 25, thus releasing lap 15' of the bag, and.

freeing the bottom end thereof. Upon completion of theoperation thus far described, the actuating mechanism operating the lever arm 22 is timed to return the same with extractor blade 25 to normal initial position ready for suitably timed repetition of said 0p-v bag 15. When member 63 is so disposed, air

control means functions to discharge a preliminary blast of airinto and through member 63, said preliminary air blast'being directed by closure plate 64 toward the bag end, said closure plate 64 bein at this time, in closed position, but being a apted to yield to the discharge of air past'the same.. The preliminary blast of air occurs as the primary depression 7 Got cam 75 is carried into operative relation to lever member '80, with consequent transmission of preliminary opening movement by the latter to control valve 69.

. At this time and until the bag 'isfully opened or. expanded, slide-bar 87 remains in normal" advanced position so as to maintain back pressure plate 84 advanced across funnel or chute memb'erpassage, in which position it prevents upward escape of air and assures discharge of air through and from lower end of funnel or chute member. The preliminary I am v aware-that many made inthe above descrlbed mechan1sms, as

blast of air, being directed against the open I wedge-like extremity to enter through open end of bag between the thus initially separated front and rear walls thereof. As fun nel or chute member approaches limit of its downward movement, and after started into bag15, the counter-balance weight 65 of its closure plate 64 will be engaged and arrested by a suitably disposed fixed stop-bar 65, thus swinging said weight 65 upward and in turn swinging said closure plate to open position, with efiect of positively opening out the mouth ofbag 15 (see Figure 5). "By time funnel or chute member 63 is thus entered and opened into upper end of bag 15, a second or final blast of .air is delivered and directed 77 of cam 75 is carried into operative relation to lever member 80, with "consequent second transmission of opening movement by latter to control valve 69.

After bag 15 is fully opened, the actuating means controlling the movement of bag-gripping member 34 is timed to effect return of latter to normal initial position, thus freeing bag from jaws 3235, so that bag is suspended from open funnel or chute member 63 at receiving end of bag supporting runway.

The bag is now ready to receive material-t0 be enclosed therein, and to this end the means spout trap 99, whereby the latter is opened to the discharge of material from spout 98, into and through funnel or chute member 63, and thence into interior of bag 15. The weight of material deposited in bag 15 Wlll slide same 01f funnel or chute member 63, leaving filled bag resting on and in recelving end of bagsupporting runway, when funnel or chute member 63 is raised 1101111171211 uplifted position by its actuating means, which is timed to effect such operation when dellvery of material into bag is completed. The filled bag 15 is now readyto undergo closing and sealing operations.

changes could'be well as in the details of the construction thereof, without departing from the scope of this invention, and therefore it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the-accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense;

I claim l. in a machine of the hind described, in combination, means to successively deliver collapsed bags to a vertically reciprocable fill ing station, a filling funnel, and means cooperative with said funnel for discharging air blasts through the funnel end to open bag preparatory to insertion of said funnel by downward movement thereinto, and later for expanding the bag for reception of mate rial delivered through said funnel after the latter is downwardly inserted within the bag,

2., In a machine of the kind described, in combination, means to successively deliver collapsed bags to a filling station, means at said filling station to grip a wall a. delivered bag at its open end to suspend the same, a vertically reciprocable filling funnel movable toward said suspended bag, and means cooperative with said tunnel for discharging air blasts through the funnel end therethrough to open the bag preparatory to insertion of said funnel by downward movement thereinto and later for expanding the bag for reception of material delivered through said funnel after the latter is downwardly inserted within the bag.

3. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a magazine to hold a supply of fiat collapsed bags, a slideway leading from said magazine to a filling station, means adapted to successively extract collapsed bags from said magazine'and deliver the same over said slideway to the filling station means at said filling station to grip a wall 01" a delivered bag at its open end to suspend the same, a filling funnel movable toward said suspended bag, and means cooperative with said funnel for discharging air under pressure therethrough to open the bag for insertion of said funnel therein and for expanding the bag for reception of material delivered through said funnel.

4. In a machine of the kind described, a

magazine to hold a stack of collapsed satchelbottomed bags for successive extraction from the bottom end of said stack, a slideway extending from beneath said magazine to a filling station, movable means having a pivoted extractor blade movable along said shdeway,

- said blade being movable about its pivot to engage a folded bottom flap of a bag so as to press the same into sliding contact with said slideway, and means adjacent the path of movement of said movable means operative to effect bag engaging and disengaging pivotal movements of said extractor blade.

5. In a machine of the kind described, a magazine to hold a stack of collapsed satchelbottomed bags for successive extraction from the bottom end of said stack, a slideway extending from beneath said magazines to a filling station, movable means having a pivoted extractor blade movable along said slidoway and adapted to engage folded bottom of said bags in sliding relation to said slide= magazine to hold a stack of collapsed satchcb bottomed bags for successive extraction from; the bottom end of said stack, an arena-ts slide way extending from beneath said magazine to a filling station, an oscillatable arm, a bellcrank lever pivoted on said arm, one exten-: sion of said bell-crank lever having an extractor blade movable toward and rem the face of said slideway, said extractor blade being adapted to engage folded bottom flaps of said bags in sliding relation to said slideway, and a cam plate with which the other ex- 7 tension of said bell-crank lever cooperates to control bag engaging and disengaging move ments of said extractor blade,

7 In a machine of the kind described, a magazine to hold a stack of collapsed satchelbottomed bags for successive extraction from the bottom end of said stack, a slideway extending from beneath said magazine to a filling station, an oscillatable arm, a bellcrank lever pivoted on said arm, one extension of said bell-crank lever having an extractor blade movable along said slideway, said extractor blade being adapted to engage folded bottom flaps of said bags, a cam plate with which the other extension of said bellcrank lever cooperates to control ha engaging and disengaging movements 0? said extractor blade, a fixed bag gripping means adjacent to the filling station, a movable bag gripping means at the delivery end of said slideway adapted to raise a delivered bag and to cooperate with said fixed grippingmeans to grip a wall of a raised bag at its open end to suspend the same subject to expanding and filling operations.

8. In a machine of the kind described a magazine to hold a stack'of collapsed satchelbottomed bags for successive extraction from the bottom end ofsaid stack, a slideway extending from beneath said magazine to a filling station, an oscillatable arm, a bellcrank lever pivoted on said arm; one extension of said bell-crank lever having an extractor blade movable along said slideway, said extractor blade being adapted to engage folded bottom flaps of said bags, a camplate having adjacent each end thereof dropsections with which the other extension of 9 to raise a delivered bag and to cooperate with said bell-crank lever cooperates, one drop section at the rearward end 'of said cam-plate operating to dispose said bell-crank lever ,to

raise said extractor blade in position to en-- gage and withdraw the bottom bag from said supply stack, the other drop-section at the forward end of said cam plate permitting movement of said bell-crank lever torelease' blade movable along said slideway, said extractor blade being adapted'to engage folded bottom flaps of said bags, a cam-plate having adjacent each end thereof drop-sections with which the other extension of said bell-crank lever cooperates, one drop sectionat the rearward end of said camp-plate operating to dispose said. bell-crank lever to raise said extractor blade in position to engage and withdraw' the bottom bag from said supply stack, the other drop-section at the forward end of said cam plate permitting movement of said bell-crank lever to release said extractor blade bag for. reception of material delivered through said funnel, a back-pressure plate movable across the interior of said funnel above the air admission means, and timed means to withdraw said back-pressure plate rior to delivery of material through said unnel into said bag.

12. In a machine of the kind described, a

filling funnel, means to hold a collapsed bag in opposition to said funnel, said funnel having a wedge-shaped lower end, a closure plate biased to close'said funnel end, means cooperative with said funnel for admitting air under pressure into and through the lower endof said funnel to open the bag for admission of said funnel thereinto and to expand said bag for reception of material deivered through said funnel, a back pressure plate movable across the interior of said funnel above the airadmission means, means to move said funnel into the mouth of said bag,

means to open said closure plate when said funnel enters .the ba mouth, and timed means towithdraw said back-pressure plate prior to delivery of material through said funnel into said bag.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of June 1931.

GEORGE I. HOHL.

from a delivered bag, a track-lever normally 1- bridging said last mentioned drop section, a

fixed bag gripping means adjacent to the fill- 7 ing station, a movable bag gripping means at the delivery end of said slideway adapted said fixedgripping means .to grip a wall of a raised bag at its open end to suspend the same subject to expanding and filling operations, and means to withdraw said track-lever to release said bag from said extractor blade said gripping means.

10. In a machine of the kind described, a.

filling funnel, means to hold a collapsed bag in op osition .to said funnel, means to move said nneltoward and into the bag mouth, and means for discharging air blasts through the funnel end. toward the bag. mouth to initiall open the bagfo'r admission of funnel by 'ownward movement"thereof said bag and later for expanding the bag for receptioln of material delivered through said fume g and slideway after the same is engaged by 11. In a machine 'oi the kind ldescriheili a filling funnel, means to hold 'a collapsed 'bag in opposition to said funnel, means cooperatrve with said funnel -for admitting air funder pressure into andthrough the lower end of said funnel to open the bag for admission of said funnel thereinto and to expand said 

